Question

Split-brain patients have had their _________ surgically cut.

1) hippocampus
2) limbic system
3) corpus callosum
4) sensory cortex
5) reticular formation

Answer 1

Split-brain patients have had their corpus callosum surgically cut, which results in unique functions of the two hemispheres.

Step-by-step explanation:

Split-brain patients have had their corpus callosum surgically cut. In other surgeries to treat severe epilepsy, the corpus callosum is cut instead of removing an entire hemisphere. This causes a condition called split-brain, which gives insights into unique functions of the two hemispheres.

For example, when an object is presented to patients' left visual field, they may be unable to verbally name the object (and may claim to not have seen an object at all). This is because the visual input from the left visual field crosses and enters the right hemisphere and cannot then signal to the speech center, which generally is found in the left side of the brain.

Remarkably, if a split-brain patient is asked to pick up a specific object out of a group of objects with the left hand, the patient will be able to do so but will still be unable to verbally identify it.